Stella, Our New Puppy!!

Breeder's photo of Stella before we purhased her (11/19/07).


Kate holding Stella (12/18/07).

Stella (Means star, in Italiano. She’s bilingual!!!!) has arrived!! We received Stella on December 18, at just 9 weeks of age. I’m completely unbiased, but she is BELLA!

We opted to wait until 8 weeks before accepting her from the breeder, to allow her to remain with her breeder to attend Puppy Pre-school (and graduate with a REAL diploma). Stella's birthday is 10-14-07. Now, she recognizes her name (only if spoken in Italiano) and the magic words “make Potty” (shush!!!). To say it mildly, we are in LOVE!



Kate, in her car, with Stella (12/18/07).

The following was found in Wikipedia to formally introduce readers to the type of dog we have purchased/acquired. As you will read below, Stella is a pure Cockapoo. Both her parents were Cockapoos!!


Cockapoo

The appearance of Cockapoos may vary
Alternative names
Cockapoo, Cockerpoo, Spoodle (AU)
Country of origin
United States

Classification and breed standards
Not recognized by any major kennel club
A Cockapoo (also called a Spoodle or Cockerpoo) is a hybrid dog, bred by crossing an American Cocker Spaniel (or English Cocker Spaniel) and a Poodle (in most cases the Miniature Poodle or Toy Poodle), or by breeding Cockapoo to Cockapoo.

History
Cockapoos have been known in the United States since around the 1940s. They have continued to increase in popularity, and many Cockapoos are now the result of breeding Cockapoo to Cockapoo rather than of a direct cross between a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle. Cockapoos have also become very popular in other countries. In Australia and Sweden, they are usually called Spoodles, and can be the result of mating either the American Cocker Spaniel or English Cocker Spaniel with a Poodle, or of breeding successive generations of Spoodles.

Health
Both Poodles and Cocker Spaniels can suffer from luxating patellas (loose knees) and progressive retinal atrophy, and dogs should be tested for these problems before breeding. Like many floppy-eared breeds, Cockapoos can be subject to ear infections, and it's important to keep their ears clean and dry. As with a lot of smaller dogs they tend to be quite long-lived, and it's not unusual for Cockapoos to live to 15 years of age or more.

Characteristics
Strictly speaking, the Cockapoo cannot be described as a purebred because it does not 'breed true'. In breeders' terms, 'breeding true' means that the pups of two mated specimens will have more consistently predictable characteristics, and will resemble both their parents, rather than exhibiting the varying characteristics of the dog breeds in their ancestries.
Breeders usually try to retain the smaller build of the American Cocker Spaniel, while retaining the wavy quality of the Poodle's coat. Like Poodles, they will usually need regular grooming, as well as clipping every couple of months.
There are currently three Cockapoo clubs in America that are working towards developing the Cockapoo by breeding successive generations, and establishing the Cockapoo as a recognized breed.